Evaluations
Evaluation Of KEY 2 A Healthy Start 2015
Early onset of high body mass index (BMI) is increasing and interventions must shift to primary prevention in the youngest ages to prevent overweight and obesity.
Since 63% of WV children are in non-parental care, the KEY 2 a Healthy Start initiative targeted child care centers where children ages six months to five years spend most of their day. This evaluation measures the effectiveness of the initiative in creating healthy changes in nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in participating centers. Read More.
See the 2015 Evaluation here.
Evaluation Of KEY 2 A Healthy Start 2014
Because of the strong likelihood that overweight preschool children will remain overweight or obese, early childhood obesity prevention efforts are vital.
Early childcare and education settings (ECEs) strongly influence food intake and physical activity of preschool age children and provide significant opportunity for supporting the development of healthy habits for a lifetime.
Building on previous work, KEYS 4 HealthyKids (KEYS), a non-profit organization located in Charleston WV, provided the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Childcare Centers (NAPSAAC) to nine ECEs in the greater Kanawha Valley area in 2014. NAPSACC is a nationally recognized evidence based obesity prevention program. Each ECE completed a NAPSACC self-assessment before and after the program. Three NAPSACC workshops were held with ECE staff in June (Obesity/Nutrition), August (Physical Activity/Personal Wellness) and September (Parent Outreach). During each workshop, ECE staff identified specific goals to address. KEYS provided technical assistance to the ECEs in between each workshop to trouble shoot and help facilitate achievement of the goals. Read More.
KEYS 4 HealthyKids Case Report
In December 2009, KEYS 4 HealthyKids partnership received a four-year, $360,000 grant as part of the HKHC national program.
Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute (CAMC Institute) was the lead agency for the HKHC grant. The partnership focused on increasing access to fresh and affordable foods and increasing physical activity opportunities within Charleston’s East End and West Side neighborhoods. The partnership’s reach expanded throughout Kanawha County and the surrounding nine counties in later years of HKHC funding.
The partnership and capacity building strategies of the partnership also included:
KEYS Youth Council: KEYS 4 HealthyKids collaborated with the local YMCA to form the KEYS Youth Council in 2010. The council focused on childhood obesity prevention and advocacy and was comprised of middle school students from Kanawha County.
Community Action Toolkit: The partnership created a KEYS 4 HealthyKids Toolkit to guide participating communities and organizations’ efforts in implementing policy and environmental change. KEYS offered technical assistance and developed a Peer Learning Network to provide ongoing support.
